After the success of the Hands Off Venezuela Campaign in Emilia Romagna, the
speaking tour moved to Toscana. On Thursday May 6, there was a meeting in the
small town of Viareggio, organised by the Communist Youth, with 30 people
present. On may 7 there was a meeting in Florence organised by the Provincial
Federation of the PRC and the Bolivarian Circle "La Madrugada", at the People’s
House Andrea del Sarto. Some 30 people took part in the meeting, including one
of the comrades from the Bolivarian Circle who has produced an excelent film on
the Venezuelan revolution (interested parties contact Alessandro Bombassei This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)

On Saturday, May 8, already in Campania, there was an excellent meeting in
Caserta, organised by the PRC Federation. The comrades from the Hands Off
Venezuela had already organised the preparatory worked and raised some 200
euros. Nearly 50 people participated in then meeting, including youth, trade
union activists and party members. Jorge Martin spoke together with the Party
secretary Giosue Bove. The debate centred on the question of non violence versus
the need to arm the workers and the people in order to defend the revolution and
face imperialist aggression. In total 650 euro were raised in Caserta.

That same night there was a very lively party at the Che Guevara PRC Circle,
where we raised some 200 euro to finance the campaign, and ate traditional
Napolitan food.

On Monday, May 10 we participated in the provincial congress of the metal
workers union (FIOM CGIL), explaining the support of the CTV leaders for the
coup in Venezuela and the need to recognise the UNT as the genuine
representative of the Venezuelan workers movement. This was received with a
standing ovation from the 200 delegates present and it was agreed to discuss the
matter further in the regional Campania FIOM congress.

In the evening we held a meeting organised by the comrades from the
FalceMartello Marxist magazine, the Committee to Defend State Education (CSP),
and the University Students Committee (CSU). Some 50 people participated in the
meeting which took place in the Historical Institute for the Resistance Movement
in Campania. There was an interesting debate amongst other things about the
relationship between Cuba and the Venezuelan revolution. Some 160 euro were
raised in the collection. We were also interviewed by Radio Lina.